Ungracious Host
by Kono-Hana-hime
Summary: Nanami's lost her house and been abandoned by her father. She's found on the street by Tomoe, a boy in her class feared for his fighting skills. He brings her back to his house, and his uncle asks her to stay with them. Tomoe seems completely annoyed with her, yet he also takes care of her. The two of them will have to learn to cope with, and comfort one another.
1. Chapter 1

Nanami trudged her way home from work. A cool wind nipped at her bare legs and whipped her long brown hair around her face. She stopped a moment to allow herself shiver and a sigh. Today had not been a good day, not in the least.

She worked at a small bakery in the market, owned by a middle-aged woman and her husband. However, today she had been fired, as the store was closing. The woman had told Nanami that the bakery wasn't doing well enough and her husband's mother was also quite sick. They were going to sell the store and use the money to move down to the south of Japan to take care of her ailing mother-in-law.

It was a real shame, Nanami had liked working there. She liked the customers, she liked the owner, and it was a fairly well-paid job. She was also usually allowed to take home the leftover baked goods at the end of the night.

The owners had sent Nanami off with a loaf of bread, a box of cookies, and the three days of pay she had earned since her last paycheck (about $120).

It hadn't helped that earlier in the day a bunch of guys in her class had been making fun of her dad, the "loser who can't hold down a single job." Not only was he unable to hold down a job, he was also a gambling addict. Nanami had to hide all the money she earned in order to pay for food and rent for their tiny apartment.

She had learned this technique from her mother who used to do the same thing. When she was alive, that is. Nanami had lost her mother at the age of eight to cancer. It was a long, painful process for her mother before she passed away. Nanami missed her dearly. Her mother was the only person she had ever really been close to. Her father was missing a lot of the time, and she was too busy working, do house-hold chores, and trying to keep track of her dad in order to have much of a social life. She didn't really have any friends, if she thought about it. She tried not to think about it often.

Her father had been missing for a week straight now. Nanami was going to give him an earful whenever he had the decency to come back. It was hard to even think of him as a "father", when it had always been more like her looking after him.

Nanami's only sliver of hope now was the stash of cash hidden in her room. There was just enough left in there for the month's rent and some extra cash for groceries. She would need to find another job quickly though. Being hungry and homeless was not an appealing option.

Her apartment building was an old white, with that sickly yellow colour starting to appear in areas. Nanami trudged up the stairs and up to her door. She didn't need to memorize the number on the door; she could recognize it by the rust patch on the bottom left corner. She unlocked the door and stepped in.

The lights were off, so her father still wasn't home. She flicked on the lights and threw her bag on the counter. She shrugged her feet out of shoes and into comfy slippers.

Nanami moved towards her room, and then froze. Her bedroom door was open. She didn't leave it open. It was neverleft open. She padlocked her door on the outside when she left, as she had her money hidden in her room. It was a necessity. Her door was _never_ left open.

Nanami dashed to her room, tripping over her own feet in her haste. The lock had been broken in half. She felt nausea overcome her as she looked at her room. Her desk drawers were all open, her mattress half off her bed, clothing all over the room.

"No!" Nanami exclaimed. This was just too much. This couldn't happen now. "Oh, please, no."

The locked desk drawer was open, and the fake bottom had been removed. Nothing was left there now. There was no money.

Nanami sank to the floor, feeling a little numb. What was she going to do? It was gone, _all _of it. She put her head between her knees and took deep breaths.

The doorbell rang. It only half-registered with her, and she stayed on the floor.

The doorbell rang again in two high-pitched successive _dings_.

She could feel the anger build in her chest, pressure and tension increased in her body. She jumped off of the floor. _He has some nerve coming back here, _she thought. _This time he's not getting any pity from me! This time I'll make him do something about it!_

Nanami stomped to the door and flung it open wide. "_You!_" She cried out. "How dare you…!" Her voice faded out as she realized who she was talking to. That was not her dad; she didn't who it was standing at her door.

A man in a black suit with a black shirt and grey tie stood at her door. He stared down at her with disinterest.

"Who… are you?" she asked. She kept one hand on the door in case he was crazy and she needed to slam the door in his face.

"I would like to ask the same of you," he sniffed. "And also why you are in my premises?"

"_Your?_ This is my house!" Nanami exclaimed.

"If it _was_ your house, it certainly isn't anymore." He glared at her. "Your father, I must presume, handed it over to me in order to pay off some gambling debts. Along with the rest of your belongings, of course."

"He did _what?_"

The man handed her some slips of paper. It was a form for a transfer of assets. It was indeed signed by her dad. _Dad, why…?_ Nanami asked in her head.

"Pack up your few items and get out." He demanded. "You have five minutes, or I call the police." When Nanami just stared at him, he demanded, "Go."

Nanami grabbed her school bag and ran to her room. She stuffed it full of her school belongings and all the clothing she could fit. On top she placed the single photo she had of her mother. It was starting to fade now, and it was a bit charred from a past house fire.

She grabbed a duffel bag from her closet, ran into the kitchen and grabbed all the food that wouldn't need refrigeration. On top of that she threw a bag of toiletries she collected from the bathroom.

"Done?" The man in the suit asked her.

Nanami scanned her apartment once last time. "Yes," she whispered.

"Then get out."

* * *

Nanami had curled herself up into a ball under the shelter of some playground equipment. She had a balled up a sweater as her pillow and threw another sweater on top of her body as a blanket.

She shivered in her plastic house. It was a plastic cube with holes of various sizes in the sides and roof for children to crawl in and out of. The wind blew through the holes and chilled her.

_Dad, why did you do this to me?_ Nanami thought, _where _are_ you?_

Why was this happening to her? The world was mocking her, ripping the tiny holes in her life open into ragged gaps.

Nanami choked back a sob. She didn't want to cry, but it was too late to hold it back now. She let out of a wail and tears poured down her cheeks. Nanami wiped angrily at the tears, but they wouldn't stop, which just frustrated her more. Her stomach ached as she sobbed and spasms rocked her body.

Nanami gave up and let herself cry until she fell into a fitful sleep

* * *

Tomoe sat in class, waiting for lunch to end. He didn't always come to class, as it was quite boring. However, he couldn't miss too many classes or he would face expulsion. So, today he came to class. He wished he hadn't though. It was quite an annoying day so far.

Some stupid blonde guy was making fun of the girl in the desk beside him.

"Hey, Nanami, I heard your dad skipped town," blonde guy joked. "Is that true?"

"It's not true, Isobe!" Nanami protested. "He's just commuting for a job! He's away a lot because he's working!"

Tomoe glanced over in irritation. The girl looked really tired; she had dark circles under her eyes. And the guy seemed to be taking pleasure in her nervous demeanor.

"Come on, we all know your dad can't keep a job down! Tell us the truth Nanami, come on." He stuck his tongue out at her.

"That is the truth!" She cried.

The blonde kid started dancing around happily. "Nanami's dad's a loser," he sing-songed. "Nanami's dad is a deadbeat!" He repeated his chorus over and over, getting louder each time.

Was it so much to ask for a quiet day at school? These people! They were all so…

"Annoying," Tomoe declared, threateningly. He stood up abruptly and his chair knocked backwards onto the floor.

Isobe froze and stared at Tomoe in fright. "Wh-wh-wh-" he stammered.

Tomoe gave Isobe a swift glare as he swiped up his bag and left the room.

"Scary…" he heard a girl murmur as he left.

"Yeah," a guy agreed.

Everyone in his class was scared of him. Not that he cared. What was the point of trying to get close to any of them anyways? They were all idiots.

When he first came to the school he was quite popular for a bit. The girls all thought he was really attractive and kept trying to flirt with him. Once they noticed that he was just ignoring them they stopped that. He refused any offers of people trying to be friendly with him.

But, when he got into a rather violent fight in front of the school, that's when people started to be scared of him. Suddenly his white hair was no longer seen as pretty, it was seen as a gang sign, and his muscular body was thought of as a weapon.

Really though, it was better this way. He didn't like people bugging him. He'd rather be alone, at least then he could relax. Being around a lot of people stressed him out.

Tomoe made his way up to the roof of the school. It was his favourite place in the school. It was warm, and he could see out for miles. Somehow, being able to see so much was comforting. Being a mere dot in the world was a comforting though. It meant what he did didn't matter that much. He didn't have to be a good person or do anything anyone else wanted of him, because in the world he didn't really matter.

He thought about that Nanami girl for a bit. She didn't have any friends in the school it seemed. He wondered if she was alone too, just like him. Tomoe shook his head. It didn't matter. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his head and settled down on the warm concrete floor for a nap. He didn't plan on going back to class today.

* * *

**So this is my first Kamisama fanfiction. Please tell me what you think!**

**I'm finding it a little hard to translate Tomoe into a normal high school student, when he's such a powerful demon in the manga/anime. Haha. I'll try my best.**

**Sorry there was no interaction between them this time. The two of them will meet in the next chapter, I promise! Next chapter will be up soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

Tomoe yawned and rubbed at his eyes as he walked down the street. He had slept through the whole rest of the school day. Tomoe lived with his uncle Mikage. He hoped that Mikage wouldn't notice that he was home later than usual. He didn't want to lie to Mikage, but he wasn't about to admit that he had skipped half of his classes.

The sky was dark with a storm, and Tomoe sped up his pace as droplets began to fall down. He hadn't brought an umbrella; it had seemed like a nice day before. He jogged past the park he passed every day. It was a cute park, however, he never saw any kids here. It was a shame.

He stopped short when he heard a sneeze. Tomoe looked into the park. Upon first inspection he didn't see anything. But, if he looked more closely he thought he could see a shadow inside of some jungle gym equipment.

_Odd…_ thought Tomoe. Out of curiosity, he moved into the park to take a closer look. He peaked around from behind a tree into the jungle gym. That girl was sitting in there, that Nanami girl from his class. She had pressed herself into the corner with the fewest holes around it. She had a sweater overtop of her head, and another on top of her like a blanket.

Tomoe wondered if her father really had abandoned her. Unlike him, she seemed like a nice person. He didn't know why her dad would want to leave her.

He moved out from behind the tree and towards the jungle gym. He knocked on the wall of the plastic cube, which earned a startled scream from Nanami.

"You," Tomoe started, "what are you doing here?"

Nanami stared up at him, her big brown eyes full of shock. "I… I, um…" she stumbled over her words. "I was just… spending some time outdoors."

"In the rain?" He questioned. It really was starting to come down harder now. He was already soaked. He should just go home… but, Mikage would be so angry at him if he found out that Tomoe had left some girl abandoned alone outside.

"I, um, I don't mind the rain?" said Nanami, though it sounded more like a question.

"Uh huh. So the sweater over your head is a fashion statement then?"

"It's for warmth," mumbled Nanami. Her cheeks were tinged with blush.

Tomoe sighed. She was really being frustrating, making him drag the truth out of her. "Then why do you have a bag full of food?"

"I wanted to have a picnic outside." She announced stubbornly.

Tomoe gave her a little glare. "Right, a picnic in the rain, sounds wonderful." He sighed. "Look, I'm getting tired of this now. So I'm just going to ask, you don't have anywhere to go, do you?"

"I do too!" Nanami protested. She glared back at him, not backing down.

"Don't be stupid and lie!" he yelled. "Come on, get out of there and follow me."

"No!" Nanami yelled back.

Tomoe ground his teeth in annoyance. "I'll ask once more. Come out so I can take you somewhere warm."

"No!"

"Fine! Freeze outside in the rain all night for all I care!" Tomoe stormed away around the corner. He could almost feel fumes of anger coming off of him. He was trying to be nice, and he just goy yelled at. Fine, screw it. He didn't need to be nice. Whatever!

But, he still paused when he reached the corner of the park. _Stupid girl…_ The rain was pounding down onto the ground in fat drops. She really would freeze outside in the rain all night, wouldn't she? _What to do…_

"Look, look, it's a girl!" He heard a man call.

"What a cutie," cooed another one.

Tomoe looked back into the park. Nanami stood outside of the jungle gym with two packed bags at her feet. It looked like she was going to leave for somewhere less wet after all.

Two sleazy men, probably in their late twenties were in front of her. They moved towards her like they were drunk.

"Hey! Don't!" Nanami called out as one grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her close. She struggled in his grip. "Let go!" The other man just laughed.

"I don't think I will," said the man holding her. "Don't you want to come somewhere warm with us?"

"No!" Nanami cried. "Let _go_!" Nanami tried to strike out at them, but the second man caught her hand. Together the two men started to drag Nanami away. She struggled and yelled out.

Tomoe ran out at them. "Let go of her!" He yelled.

"Eh? Who are-" Tomoe punched the guy who first grabbed Nanami in the face before he has a chance to finish his sentence.

Tomoe smashed the palm of his hand up into the nose of the second man. He felt a crunch and some blood ran down his hand. The man screamed in pain. The first man had gotten back up and was trying to run away. Tomoe grabbed his shirt and pulled him harshly back. He toppled to the ground, and Tomoe gave him a harsh kick in the stomach.

He had the other man in his hand and was going to punch him when Nanami called out "Tomoe, _stop!_" She lunged at him and grabbed his arm. "Tomoe, please, stop!"

Tomoe looked at her in surprise; he would've thought she would be too afraid of him to touch him. He frowned at her. "They were going to hurt you," he said. "Why should I stop?"

Nanami looked up at him with wide eyes brimmed with tears. "They did something bad," Nanami agreed. "But they don't deserve to be beaten so harshly!"

Tomoe looked away from her piercing gaze, it was too much. It made him feel guilty, as if he was the one who had done something wrong.

"Tomoe, please, just let them go," she pleaded gently.

"Fine," he relented. Tomoe let go of the man and he dropped to the floor. The two dirty men scurried off together in a fit of tears.

Tomoe wiped the bit of blood on his hand off onto his pants. He then moved towards Nanami's stuff. Her sweater had fallen off her head and onto the ground when she was grabbed. It was soaking wet and dirty now. Tomoe tied it around the handle of her duffel bag. He picked up her school bag and his as well, as he had thrown it on the ground in order to help her. He swung one over each of his shoulders. The duffel bag he took in his hand.

"Come on," said Tomoe to Nanami, who was looking at him in confusion.

"Come?" She questioned. "Where?"

"To my house. It's too wet and cold to stay outside tonight. You can sleep at my place," he told her.

She just stared at him and blinked. "Huh?"

He sighed, walked over to her, and grabbed her wrist gently. "Let's go."

"I, um, okay…" Nanami mumbled.

"Oh, wait," said Tomoe. He dug through his bag and pulled out a sweater. He handed it to her. "Put this on, and put up the hood."

"Oh," she paused. "Okay." She nervously slipped the sweater over her head. It was too long and big for her. But it would do for a walk home. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Because I don't have an umbrella," he explained, as if it were obvious. He started to walk again, and Nanami followed of her own free will this time.

"No, that's not what I meant," she said. "I meant, why are you helping me?"

Of course it was natural for her to wonder that. He certainly didn't seem like the thoughtful, helping type of person. "My uncle would be mad if I didn't," he replied.

"Oh."

"And… you were all alone," he added in a quieter voice. He wasn't sure if she had heard him or not.

Tomoe wondered why she wasn't crying after what had happened. He took a glance at her. She didn't look happy, but she looked determined. They walked in silence for a while.

"Hey, Tomoe," started Nanami.

"Hm?"

"Thank you," she said. Tomoe looked at her, and she gave him a big smile. It was so full of feeling, life, and purity. He had to look away.

"It's not a big deal," he muttered.

"Do you live with your uncle?" Nanami asked.

Tomoe nodded. "Here, this is it."

"Wow!" Nanami gasped. "Your house is so big!"

"It's just a normal house, not that big," Tomoe disagreed. He lived in a two-storey traditional-style house. The roof was thatched and sloped; the walls were made of a rich red-brown wood and filled with plenty of windows.

"It's so pretty!" Nanami gushed. She jogged around to look at the garden. There was a little fountain filled with fish, some little trees, and lots of flowering bushes.

"Hey, it's still raining," Tomoe reminded her. "Let's go inside." _What an odd girl, running around in the rain_, he thought.

The pair entered the building. Tomoe shook off his shoes and Nanami followed suit. Tomoe put their bags down in the front hall.

"I'm home!" Tomoe called.

"Tomoe! I'm in the study!" his uncle called back.

"Let's go," said Tomoe. He started walking forwards.

Nanami hesitated. "Um, okay."

"It's okay," He reassured her. "Don't be nervous."

Nanami nodded and followed behind him. They walked through the hall past the dining room and the kitchen, and around the corner to the study. Tomoe slid open the door and stepped inside. Nanami stayed outside the door.

"Tomoe! You're home!" chirped his uncle Mikage. He was sitting down at his desk typing something on his laptop, probably for work. He was a young-looking man with shoulder-length blonde hair and compassionate brown eyes. He dressed in traditional Japanese robes when he was home. "And you're late!"

Tomoe sighed, so he did notice after all. "That's because I found this outside in the rain," Tomoe explained. He pulled Nanami through the door into the room.

"H-Hello!" She stuttered. "N-nice to meet you."

Mikage stared at her in shock. Tomoe never brought anyone home. Mikage was quite sure that Tomoe didn't have any friends, and he was right. "Nice to meet you too," he replied. "I'm Mikage, Tomoe's uncle." Mikage stood up and moved over to Nanami to shake her hand.

"My name's Nanami," she told him.

"We're classmates," Tomoe added.

"And… you found her in the rain?" asked Mikage.

Tomoe nodded. "She needs a place to stay." He offered no more of an explanation.

"Eh?" said Mikage in confusion. "You have nowhere to go?" he asked Nanami.

Nanami looked down at the ground, embarrassed. "No… my dad lost our property and all our belongings. And he disappeared," Nanami clarified. "My mom passed away when I was eight. So now I'm all alone, with nowhere to go."

"You were staying outside?"

"I found her in the park," Tomoe told Mikage. Nanami blushed scarlet, but nodded in confirmation.

Mikage fixed her with soft eyes. "Poor girl. You can stay here, of course."

"I, I'll only stay the night!" Nanami stated. "I'll leave tomorrow! I'm sorry to bother you!"

"If you leave tomorrow, where will you go?" Mikage asked.

"Um… outside?" whispered Nanami.

Mikage shook his head. "Stay here until you have somewhere to go."

"But!" Nanami protested. "I can't bother you for so long!"

Mikage smiled at her. "It's not a bother. We're happy to look after you. Aren't we, Tomoe?"

"Eh? I'm not looking after anyone," deadpanned Tomoe. "I already brought her here, I figured that was enough."

Nanami gaped at him. Mikage stared Tomoe down and gave him a smack on the side of the head. "_We _will look after her."

Tomoe glowered at him, but relented with a curt, "Fine."

"You can have the guest room, Nanami," Mikage offered.

"Thank you! I'll look for a job, and leave as soon as possible!" she said. "Thank you so much!" She bowed down to Mikage.

"Oh, you don't need to do that!" Mikage protested. "Tomoe, take her to the guest room, will you?"

"Fine." Tomoe exited the room with Nanami on his heels. He scooped up their bags from the hall and led Nanami upstairs.

There were three doors upstairs. Tomoe pointed out the bathroom – the room farthest from the stairs – followed by his room, and then Nanami's room.

Nanami's room was very nice. There was a closet, a low bed that almost looked like it was built into the floor, and a desk with a lamp. The walls were a warm beige, and the floor was made of rich brown wood.

"It's so nice," Nanami commented in awe.

Tomoe placed her bags down at the foot of the bed. "There's a washing machine in the bathroom," he told her. "Go have a warm shower now so you don't get sick. I don't want to be up all night listening to you sneeze."

Tomoe moved to leave the room.

"Wait, Tomoe!" Nanami called. Tomoe turned around to face her. "Thank you, again."

Tomoe shrugged, nothing more. He did his part already, now he just wanted to go to his room and be alone.

"I'll give your sweater back to you after I wash it!" she said.

"Don't bother. Just keep it, you don't have anything warm to wear," answered Tomoe.

"Oh, um, all right," agreed Nanami hesitantly. "Well, good night."

"Night." Tomoe left and padded towards his room. Once inside he stripped off his wet clothing, poured himself a cup of sake and laid down in bed. He had gotten himself into a potentially annoying scenario, hadn't he?

* * *

**Second chapter done! I just realized that none of the barriers I made between scenes worked in the last chapter. Haha. I'll fix it now. Sorry for everyone who had to read it like that. It must have been confusing… Sorry!**

**Thanks for all the reviews! I hope you guys liked this chapter! I'll try to post again soon.  
3**


	3. Chapter 3

Nanami unpacked her bags, and threw all the dirty clothing into a pile on the floor. She placed her mom's photograph on her desk. She ran her fingers over the photo and sighed. What would life have been like for her if her mother hadn't passed away?

She glanced around the room. She had never slept in such a nice room before, and she never thought she ever would. But here she was. Nanami couldn't quite understand why she was here. Why had Tomoe helped her?

Was Tomoe actually kind-hearted? Nanami shook her head. He had helped her, but he had also yelled at her. He waited around for in the rain and came to rescue her, but once they got home he acted like he didn't care about her anymore. He was so strange…

Nanami couldn't decide what she thought of him. They had never once talked before now, even though they sat next to each other. The whole school seemed to be scared of him. She admitted to herself that maybe she had been too. Nanami didn't think she was scared of him now, but she wasn't overly fond of him either.

His uncle Mikage seemed nice, and at least she was warm and dry here. She felt kind of safe here. As much as she wanted to stay, she would have to leave soon. She couldn't let herself be taken care of here for too long. Tomorrow she would start looking for a job.

Nanami brought her pile of dirty clothes to the washroom and threw them in the washing machine. She turned on the shower and reveled in the warmth. There was nothing better than a hot shower. She washed her hair and her body. She felt much cleaner now and warmed from head to toe.

She transferred her clothing to the dryer and dried herself up with a towel. She looked for a blow dryer for her hair, but couldn't find one. There wasn't a woman living here, so there wasn't a need for one she guessed. Nanami dried it off with a towel as best as she could.

Nanami peaked outside the door to make sure the coast was clear before going out. She didn't want Tomoe to see her in a towel. How embarrassing that would be.

There was a plate of food on her bedside table when Nanami came back. There was a note that read 'I thought you might be hungry. Enjoy. –Mikage'. She smiled at the offering. She really was hungry.

Nanami dug into the pile of snacks. There were some sweet buns, cheese, cucumber salad, and a little bowl of miso soup. She devoured the food.

There was nothing else for her to do right now, so she decided to get ready for bed. She combed out her hair and put on some comfier clothing. She hadn't brought proper pajamas with her, so Nanami decided to just wear a t-shirt to bed. It wasn't the comfiest, but it would do.

Nanami shut off the lights and settled into bed and wrapped the covers tightly around her. The blankets were so soft. She smiled a little. She guessed that this would be a once in a lifetime experience for her, to be in such a luxurious place.

"Good night, mom" Nanami called out to the picture on her desk.

She set the alarm on her watch for the next morning. She wondered what tomorrow was going to be like. She was a little nervous about how Tomoe would treat her tomorrow. Would he be angry? Or maybe he would just be indifferent? Well, it wouldn't do any good to think about it, she would have to find out in the morning.

* * *

Nanami rolled over in bed. It looked so bright, the sun was shining in through the windows. She rubbed her eyes. What time was it?

"7:30?" Nanami exclaimed. "But I set my alarm for 7:00!" She looked at the alarm settings. Apparently she had set it for 7:00 _pm_. Whoops.

She scrambled out of bed and changed into her school uniform. She ran a comb through her hair before leaving her room in a dash to the bathroom.

As she reached the door it opened and Tomoe came out. Nanami blushed tomato red at the sight in front of her and covered her eyes.

"What are you _wearing_?" she yelled. Tomoe was wearing pajama pants, but absolutely no shirt. His stomach and arms were lean and muscular.

He blinked at her. "Pajamas," he replied.

"You're not wearing a shirt!" She uncovered her eyes to yell at him, but it made her blush even more.

He looked confused. "I don't wear a shirt to sleep. I get hot," he explained.

Nanami frowned at him. "Can't you at least wear a shirt when you come out of your room?"

"Why?"

"B-because this is innapropriate!" she stuttered.

Tomoe frowned back at her. "It's _my _house. I don't _have _to wear a shirt." He walked away and back into his room, closing the door after himself.

Nanami glared after him in annoyance. She didn't want to have to see that every morning! She had never seen a guy shirtless before, at least not since she went to the pool as a little kid. And she certainly hadn't thought much of guys back then. Nanami certainly hadn't been expecting this when she had fallen asleep last night.

She hung her towel from last night back up, brushed her teeth, and washed her face. She grabbed her laundry from last night out of the dryer and carried it back to her room.

"Ah, Nanami, you're up!" Mikage called. He was climbing up the stairs towards her.

"Oh, yes. Good morning," Nanami greeted him.

"Did you sleep well?"

Nanami nodded. "I did. And thank you for the meal last night!"

Mikage smiled at her. "I'm glad you liked it." Mikage knocked on Tomoe's bedroom door. "Tomoe?"

"Yeah?" he replied, but didn't open the door.

"Take Nanami to school today," Mikage ordered.

Nanami could hear Tomoe exhale in annoyance even through the door. "I walked her home from there yesterday! She should know the way," he protested.

"_Tomoe_!" Mikage called threateningly.

"It's okay!" Nanami said quickly. "I know the way." Truthfully, she hadn't being paying much attention last night to where they were going. But she figured it shouldn't be too hard to find her way.

"If you're sure," Mikage tentatively replied.

Nanami nodded. "I'll be fine by myself!"

"I'll be leaving for work now then. I'll see you both later tonight," he bid them farewell, and made his way back down the stairs.

Nanami grabbed her school bag from her room. She checked the time, it was 7:45. Class started at 8:00, she would have to leave quickly. She left the house and started down the street. She knew enough to turn right when she left the house. After a while the street ended, and she could choose to go left or right.

Nanami hesitated. She didn't recognize either of the directions. She swallowed nervously, and decided to walk to the right.

"Stupid!" She heard Tomoe call from behind her. "It's the other way."

Nanami wondered how he had caught up to her so quickly. "Oh. Coming!" She ran back towards him and the two of them continued on their way together.

"Can't even find her way to school, so useless," she heard Tomoe mutter under his breath.

Nanami glared mutinously at the ground. _Jerk_, she thought. How was she supposed to memorize the way in one night anyways?

Nanami had to half-jog half-walk in order to keep up with Tomoe, and she felt very awkward doing it. He had long legs, and his strides were so big. He didn't seem to notice her awkward pace.

Lost in her thoughts, Nanami didn't notice as she jogged into a hole in the sidewalk. Nanami yelped in surprise as she lost her balance and toppled forwards. Tomoe grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back up before she touched the ground. She felt as weightless as a doll in his strong arms.

"Th-thank you," she stuttered.

"Give me that," he said and snatched her bag out of her hand, then kept walking forwards, this time at a slower pace. "If I'm walking too fast just say so."

"Oh, okay," Nanami relented. "Sorry." She glanced at him. He was being nice again, although in an oddly rude manner. He didn't notice her staring at him. Nanami couldn't understand him. She seemed to annoy him, but here was helping her again. She sighed quietly.

Nanami pondered over the possible reasons why Tomoe was helping her as they went into class together. She sat down in her seat, but for some reason Tomoe stayed standing beside her.

"Nanami," said Tomoe irritably.

"Yeah?"

"You're in _my_ seat," he grumbled.

"Eh? S-sorry!" Nanami apologized. She jumped up and over into her seat. She blushed profusely. She couldn't possibly be more spastic today, could she?

Tomoe sighed and placed her bag on her desk, then sat down. Nanami refused to look over. She kept embarrassing herself today, she didn't want to see Tomoe's annoyed face.

Nanami heard whispering in her class.

"Why did Nanami and Tomoe come into the room together today?"

"He was carrying her bag!"

"She sat in his seat, he looked mad. Good thing he didn't get angry enough to start a fight."

"Do you think Tomoe and Nanami are going out?"

"I didn't think Nanami was the type to like bad boys!"

Nanami threw her head down into her arms on the desk. _No!_ She protested in her head. Now there was even more gossip about her. Why was she always the main topic of discussion in this class? She certainly did not like Tomoe! And they were _not_ going out.

"Hey, Nanami," called Isobe. "Why the long face? You tired from being homeless or something? Or maybe it's a _lover's quarrel_?" He laughed at himself.

"Go away," Tomoe growled.

Isobe quickly scrambled away. He certainly was terrified of Tomoe. Nanami allowed herself a small chuckle. She wasn't sure if Tomoe scared him away for her, or because he was annoyed. Whatever the reason was, Nanami was happy.

Unfortunately, her stomach was not so happy with her skipping breakfast today. Nanami put her hands on her stomach as it rumbled, trying to quiet it. She wished she had thought to grab something before leaving. Her stomach growled again.

A wrapped pastry was shoved under her face. "Here," Tomoe offered.

"Didn't you bring that because you were going to eat it?" She protested. She didn't take the pastry from his hand.

"Obviously," he agreed. "But I don't want to hear your stomach rumble all class. It's annoying." He dropped the pastry onto her desk.

Nanami blushed and stared at it.

"Eat it," he insisted.

Nanami picked it up and started to eat. She didn't bother to say thanks, since Tomoe never replied to it. Whenever he did something nice he always said something mean to make up for it. Nanami grumbled about him in her head. _Stupid, mean Tomoe_.

She tried to focus on class, and refused to look over at him.

When lunch rolled around Nanami left class and went to the cafeteria. She hadn't brought anything, so she had to buy today. Tomoe was also buying lunch, and he walked a ways in front of her.

Tomoe bought a sandwich and walked out of the cafeteria. Nanami purchased some sweet bread. She walked up the stairs after Tomoe. Instead of leaving the stairwell at their floor, Tomoe kept walking up.

She wasn't sure if she should follow Tomoe outside or if she should go back to class to eat. She didn't think Tomoe wanted her around, but she didn't want to go back to class by herself. If she went back alone there was no doubt that Isobe would be all over her, making stupid jokes. And, she kind of wanted to know where Tomoe was going.

Nanami followed Tomoe up the stairs. He walked up the top floor and left. Nanami reached the top and opened the door. They were up on the roof of the school. Tomoe was sitting on the ground with his back against the cement railing. His head was tilted up and his eyes were closed.

She walked closer to him. When she was beside him he opened his eyes and looked at her.

He looked at her like he didn't understand why she was there. "You don't have to eat with me," he told her, quite emotionlessly.

Nanami shuffled her feet and hesitated. Was he telling her to go away? Or did he not mind one way or the other? "I don't have anywhere else to go right now," she responded.

Tomoe nodded. She took that as an invitation to stay, so she sat down beside him. She started munching on her bread, and Tomoe ate his sandwich as well. They were completely silent. Nanami couldn't decide if she felt uncomfortable with the silence or not. Tomoe seemed content in the silence.

A cool breeze blew over them and Nanami shivered. She had only brought a thin sweater today. She didn't have any thick, warm ones.

"You're cold?" Tomoe asked.

"A little," she admitted.

Tomoe shook his head. "You don't have any warm clothing. You should have just worn my sweater from yesterday, it's thick."

Nanami would have felt weird wearing Tomoe's sweater to school. What would people think? Too embarrassing. She'd rather be cold.

Tomoe took off his jacket and threw it on her lap. "Put it on."

"Okay." Nanami slipped her arms through the jacket and wrapped the front closed around her. "Thanks."

"Next time think ahead, so I don't have to be cold," he said.

Nanami gawked at him. "If you're cold then take it back!" she protested.

"No."

"_Fine!_" snapped Nanami. "I'll bring my own next time."

Tomoe looked away from her, and silence settled back in. Nanami felt tense in the silence this time.

"Do you have to add a mean comment to everything nice you do?" Nanami complained.

Tomoe shrugged. "Maybe. Who said I was doing anything to be nice though?"

"Giving me your coat so I won't be cold isn't a nice gesture?" asked Nanami.

"Maybe it is, but my motives might not be," he said. "Maybe I think you're weak and you'll catch a cold without a jacket on. And maybe I don't want to listen to you cough and sneeze all night at home, or maybe even get me sick too." He didn't look at her the entire time he said this.

Nanami frowned at his suggestion. She really couldn't understand him. Was that really his reasoning? He had said _maybe_, so it might be, or it might not be. "Are you being confusing on purpose?" she asked.

"Who knows."

Nanami sighed. "Well, whatever your motives are, I'm still grateful," she murmured.

Tomoe looked over at her for a moment, but said nothing. Nanami forced herself to meet his eyes. He looked like he was studying her. His gaze was intense, but she couldn't let herself look away.

Suddenly, he stood up and said "Let's go back to class."

Nanami followed him back inside. She took his jacket off and handed it back to him. The pair walked to class in absolute silence.

* * *

**This is the longest chapter so far, I believe. Is this too long? Should I make the chapters shorter, or does it not really matter to you guys?**

**I have all my final exams right now. So stressful. And this is what I'm doing instead of studying. Lol. Why is it that there always seems to be so much fun stuff do when you know you have lots of work to finish?**

**Hopefully I'll see you guys again soon with another chapter! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Nanami had picked up a newspaper on her way home from school. She sat in her room and read through for jobs. She found only two part-time opportunities. She circled them and put the paper down on her dresser with a sigh. She was hoping for more of a selection in the part-time jobs.

There was a knock on her door. "Dinner," Tomoe called through the door. "Come downstairs."

"Okay!" Nanami responded. She walked down to the kitchen. A bunch of takeout boxes lined the counter.

"Oh, takeout food tonight?" Nanami asked.

Mikage chuckled and handed her a plate. "Yes, tonight and every other night really. Take whatever you want."

Nanami thanked him and starting scooping up food along with Tomoe. "You don't cook?" she wondered.

"I don't know how," Mikage admitted. "At least not how to make anything very good. I hope this doesn't bother you."

Nanami shook her head. "No, it doesn't. I've been having very plain cooked food or cheap takeout since my mom passed away. This looks a lot better than what I usually have!" She laughed. "It just seems like a shame since your kitchen is so nice."

Mikage nodded. "Your mom used to cook for you?"

"She was a very good cook. We could never afford anything expensive to eat, but somehow she always managed to make our meals taste really good," she smiled at the memories. "I miss her homemade food."

The three of them sat down at the dining table to eat. The food was really tasty and Nanami savored it. She assumed she wouldn't be able to eat something so delicious for a while once she left this house.

"Nanami," Mikage paused, "Are you wearing Tomoe's sweater?"

She felt her face turn hot. She had forgotten to take it off before coming downstairs. "Um, y-yes," she admitted. "I was cold, so I put it on. Tomoe had given it to me yesterday because I didn't have warm clothing."

"I see." Mikage smiled amiably at her and then at Tomoe. It just made Nanami feel even more embarrassed.

She wanted to yell that she wasn't wearing it because she wanted to, she was just _cold_!

"What?" Tomoe asked irritably. Mikage had continued to stare at him for a while.

"Nothing," replied Mikage.

Tomoe looked irritated as he stabbed at the food on his plate. "When are you getting a job?" he asked her.

"Oh, um, I found two places earlier. So I was going to go after school tomorrow."

"Are they good jobs?" Mikage asked. "Maybe you should wait a while longer before applying in case something better opens up."

Nanami shook her head. "No, it's okay. It's probably better for me to find a job soon."

"I'll clean the dishes is everyone is done," Nanami offered.

Mikage thanked her as she gathered up the plates and cutlery.

Tomoe grabbed her stack of dishes from her. "I'll do it."

"What? Why?" She protested.

Tomoe glanced at her. "You'll probably mess it up or break something,"

"I will not!"

"Tomoe, don't be rude," Mikage scolded him, though he still had a small smile on his face.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Nanami, go do your school work."

"But-"

"You haven't done anything in the past few days, have you?" he asked. "Just go work, or you'll fall behind. This won't take long anyways."

He was right; she hadn't had time for school work so far. She was doing okay in school, but she would need to catch up soon or her marks would drop.

"Okay. Thanks," she said to Tomoe. Nanami thanked Mikage as well for the meal as she left the room.

She did her homework until it was time to sleep.

* * *

Nanami woke up early the next morning. She had had a fitful night's sleep. She dreamt of her mother, and while it was nice to see her mother again (even just in her dreams), she woke up feeling sad and empty. She wished her mother was still here with her. She needed family.

She washed up and dressed before Tomoe woke up. She packed her school bags and went downstairs to make breakfast.

Nanami found a lonely frying pan and some eggs in the fridge. Scrambled eggs with salt and pepper would be good enough. She hadn't heard Mikage, she assumed he had gone to work, and so she made two servings worth.

She sat down at the table and ate her share of breakfast. "Good morning," she said to Tomoe as he entered the kitchen.

"Morning."

"There are eggs in the frying pan for breakfast if you want," Nanami offered. "They're not that great, but…"

Tomoe picked up a fork and ate directly from the frying pan. "They're fine," he told her.

Nanami smiled at him, and he looked away from her. "Do you want leftovers from last night for lunch?"

"Oh, yes, please!" she replied.

Tomoe stuffed an array of leftovers into two glass containers. He handed one to her. She thanked him and stored it in her school bag.

"I'm leaving now," Tomoe said.

"Ah, okay, I'm coming!"

Their classmates whispered about them again when they came into class together. Nanami squirmed uncomfortably under their scrutiny. Tomoe never seemed to care though. Nanami wondered why. Did he not care, or was he just good at hiding his emotions?

Soon it was lunch time, and the pair heated up their food in the microwave in the cafeteria.

A swarm of people entered the room. They were all gathered around Kurama, a popular upperclassman. He came from a rich family, who had for some reason decided to enroll him at this school. Nanami, like many others, had fawned over him at first. He was incredibly attractive with his perfectly styled brown hair, and dark, enchanting eyes. But after a while she realized that he was nothing but a big jerk.

"Are you going to follow me to the roof again today?" Tomoe asked her.

Nanami blushed. He made her sound like she was a stalker. "If you don't mind…"

Tomoe nodded. "Okay, let's go." Nanami trailed him towards the exit.

"Today I will buy lunch," announced Kurama. "Now what should I get?" He swung his arms out in a grand gesture.

"_Ah!_" Nanami exclaimed as Kurama's hand smacked against the side of her head. She was knocked off balance and keeled to the side. Her dish slipped out of her hands and smashed onto the floor. She landed beside a pile of food and broken glass.

Tomoe whirled around at the noise and ran back towards her. "Nanami?"

"I'm okay," she reassured him. She stood up and some glass bits fell from her skirt. There were some food spots on her skirt, socks, and shoes now. "I'm sorry about the container…"

"You're so clumsy," he grumbled.

Nanami frowned. "It wasn't all my fault."

"Ah, did one of my fans knock you over?" Kurama asked her.

She gaped at him. "No!"

"Oh, I guess you just fell then," he said and turned away from her.

"H-hey!" She yelled after him. "_You're _the one that hit me! Don't just turn away without apologizing."

Tomoe glared threateningly at Kurama. "You _hit_ her?" he growled. Kurama glared right back.

"By accident!" she added hastily. The last thing she needed was for a fight to start. Kurama smiled at her, as if she were standing up for him. "But you should still apologize!" she insisted.

Kurama approached her and bent down to look her straight in the face. "You know, you're actually cute," he complimented her.

Nanami blushed. _What's going on? Is this an apology?_

Kurama took her hand in his. "You're not dating this thing, are you?" he gestured to Tomoe.

"No," said Nanami and Tomoe at the same time. Nanami sounded embarrassed, while Tomoe sounded angry.

"Then maybe we should go out." Kurama kissed her hand delicately.

Nanami snatched her hand back and pushed Kurama away from her. "N-no way!"

Kurama chuckled. "You're shy, that's so cute. You should think it over, it's a once in a lifetime chance." He reached for her again, but Tomoe stepped in front of her.

"She said _no_." Tomoe said angrily.

Nanami could feel electric tension between the two of them. She tugged on the sleeve of Tomoe's shirt. "Tomoe, let's go."

They left the cafeteria together, Nanami still holding onto his sleeve.

"You can let go now," said Tomoe as they climbed the stairs. "I'm not going to run back downstairs and attack him."

"Sorry," she apologized and let go.

They settled down on the ground. "Do you still have your chopsticks?" he asked her.

Nanami nodded.

"We can share my lunch then," he offered, and the two of them ate together.

"Tomoe?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks for standing up for me," she whispered.

Tomoe looked at her. "I thought you were going to tell me off for getting angry, not thank me."

"No one's ever done that for me before," she admitted. "And even though I don't want you to fight, it still made me kind of happy." No one had been there to support her for such a long time. It had always been her doing everything on her own. She lived, and ate, and survived because she made it so. It was kind of nice to have someone try and help her.

She wondered what would happen once she left his house. Would Tomoe go back to ignoring her like she didn't exist? Or maybe things would continue like they are now?

"It's not a big deal," he replied.

It grew silent again. She wanted to keep talking. Nanami said the first thing that came to mind, "Why do you not seem to care when people whisper about us?"

He shrugged. "Because it doesn't matter. They're just saying stupid things. Why do you bother to care?"

"Well, it's not true…" she responded. "They're just spreading lies."

"Whether they're spreading lies or the truth, it doesn't matter. The only reason I can see for this to bother anyone is if they like someone else," he said.

"I don't like anyone!" Nanami yelled as he looked at her.

"Then why does it bother you?"

"It's embarrassing!" she protested.

Tomoe blinked and looked away from her.

"I-I didn't mean it like that! I didn't mean it's embarrassing to have people think I'm dating _you_," Nanami rambled. "I just meant in general. Because I've never dated anyone before, so it's weird. Plus everyone already gossips about me because of my dad…" It was just getting more and more embarrassing the longer she talked.

He patted her on the head once, and she stopped talking. "Okay," he relented. "Now eat your food."

_Maybe_, Nanami thought, _we can be friends…_

* * *

**I hope this chapter is okay! Sorry if it's a little rushed! I literally wrote this at 2:00 am after studying all day. . I tried to quickly go over it for spelling/grammar mistakes, but I doubt that I caught them all… Ahaha.**

**Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing my story so far! I'm really appreciative! :) I hope you'll all leave me more comments again. Most people said that they liked long chapters, so I will stick with writing longer chapters!**

**I still have 3 finals left to go. And then I leave on vacation at the end of April. So I'm not sure if I will be able to get another chapter up before then… But I will try really hard to! Since I don't want to leave everyone hanging for so long. :P**

**See you guys next time! :) Hopefully soon.**


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